Slidable fifth wheel mounting



June 14, 1960 J. A. BUVELOT 2,940,774

'SLIDABLE FIFTH WHEEL MOUNTING F'hed June 7, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Juae'14,-1960 J. A. BUVELOT 2,940,774

SLIDABLE FIFTH WHEEL MOUNTING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June '7, 1957 Unitecl States Patent Office 2,940,774 Patented June 14, 1960 2,940,774 SLIDABLE FIFTH WHEEL MOUNTING Fil ed June 7, 1957, Ser. No. 664,282

2 Claims. ((31. 280-405) This invention relates to fifth wheel construction for trailer trucks and, more particularly, to a fifth wheel, selectively movable longitudinally along the frame of the trailer truck.

It is, therefore, an object of my invention to provide a fifth Wheel construction for trailer trucks, which may be unlocked to permit adjustment thereof. It is another object of my invention to provide a slid able fifth wheel construction which is simple, yet rugged, so as to provide selective adjustment thereof and which may be operated from the interior of the cab of the trailer truck.

Another object of this invention isto provide a slidable fifth wheel construction which may be selecetively movable longitudinally of the frame of the trailer truck upon which it is mounted to any one of a number of selected positions, and which may be locked in the selected position.

A further object is to provide a compact and unitary slidable fifth wheel mounting which may be readily assembled or disassembled from the frame of the trailer truck.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a unitary slidable fifth wheel arrangement which may be operated from the interior of the cab but which may include a signalling device to indicate to an operator that the arrangement is in an unlocked position when desired to be so;

These and other objects will become apparent from the following description, and from the discussion therein with respect to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a plan view of a fifth wheel sliding mount construction embodying features of my invention wherein the mounting bracket and the fifth wheel are shown in phantom;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the embodiment of Figure l, and

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Figure 1.

It will be noted that in the interest of clarity, certain parts have been omitted from certain views as they will be adequately disclosed in the views in which they appear. Hereinafter, the terms"truck and tractor, front and left, and right andfrear maybe used synonymously. V

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly, to Figure 1, there is shown a partial portion of a trailer truck, generally indicated at 10, and which may comprise the usual longitudinally extending, horizontally disposed frame memberslZ. There may be secured to frame members 12, as by welding, slide plates 14 which may extend from front to rear of frame members 12. The inboard and outboard edges of plates 14 may overhang frame members 12. Located on the bottom of each slide plate 14 and disposed inboardly of each frame member 12 may be-secured, as by welding, a reinforcing bar 16. Each slide plate 14 may comprise a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings 18 in registry or alignment with openings 20 which maybe disposed in the related 2 reinforcing bar 16. Each opening 18 in slide plate 14 may be in transverse alignment with an opening 18 in the other slide plate 14, which, consequently, results in the openings 20 of both reinforcing bars 16 being in transverse alignment with each other.

A U-shaped power support assembly 22 may comprise a selectively movable assembly plate 23 which may be disposed transversely to the frame members 12, and which may be slidably engageable with slide plates 14. The assembly plate 23 preferably extends between the outboard edges of slide plates 14. Assembly plate 23 may be retained in sliding engagement'with slide plates 14 by L-shaped retainers 24 which are preferably secured, as by welding, to the outboard edges of assembly plate 23. As will be seen in Figures 1 and 2, L-shaped retainers 24 may comprise vertical openings 26 in transverse alignment with each other and which may be disposed in registry with vertically aligned openings 28 in assembly plate 23. As assembly plate 23 may be slidably movable longitudinally of slide plates 14, registry of openings 26 and 28 with openings 18 and 20 must, consequently, occur.

A pair of power cylinders 30 may be rigidly secured, as by nut and bolt assemblies 32, to the upper surface of assembly plate 23. The power cylinders 30 are preferably disposed in such a manner that motion of a pair of piston rods 33 in power cylinders 30 may be directed towards the outboard edges of assembly plate 23. As best seen in Figure 3, the outboard end of each piston rod 33 may be connected, as by a roll pin connector 34, to a bell-crank lever 36. The fixed fulcrum 37 of the bellcrank lever 36 may be secured, as by a roll pin connector 38, to a pair of fulcrum brackets 39 which may be disposed on opposite sides of bell-crank lever 36 and which are preferably secured, as by welding, to assembly plate 23.

For those familiar in the art, it may be known that movement of the junction of piston rods 33 and bell crank lever 36 may be limited to arcuate movement. For this reason, the pistons (not shown) and piston rods 33 may be permitted limited rotation movement with respect to cylinders 36 so as to permit limited arcuate movement of the ends of piston rods 33 with respect to the fixed fulcrums 37. 7

Disposed between the inboard ends of power cylinders 30 may be a 'commonsupply line unit 40 for supplying a source of fluid-pressure for actuation of cylinders 30. The supply line 49 may be connected, as shown, but may be disposed in any convenient manner so as to eliminate the possibility of interference of the supply line unit 40 with the construction of the fifth wheel mounting during movement of the fifth wheel mounting.

The outboard end of each bell-crank lever 36 may be disposed in a slot 41 of a locking pin 42, which may be vertically disposed in a guide 43 comprising an opening 44 inregistry with opening 26 and which guide 43 may be secured, as by welding, to retainer 24. The length of locking pin 42 may be of sufiicient length so as toaiford contact of locking pin 42 with opening 20 of reinforcing bar 16 when the fifth wheel mounting is in a locked position. v

A signal light switch 46 may be disposed above each piston rod 33 and secured, as by nut and bolt assemblies 48, to a signal light bracket 50 which may be carried in any convenient manner by power cylinder 30. A signal light (not shown) may be disposed on the dash of the tractor (not shown) which may be electrically connected to the signal light switches 46, the operation of which will be hereinafter described.

Each L-shaped retainer 24 may be provided with a grease fitting 52 to reduce friction and to eliminate rust each corrugated side plate 54 s p'ect to the slide plates 14.

" alignment thereof; 7

i d bolt; assemblies n w r c l n r 3 s plat; 23 i h the result that movement of the wheel' construction depends on movement 7 of the power support assembly 22' and the corrugated side plates 54 'together and in the same direction. a i V 'jL-shaped retainers :56 and 58 may be securedfas by welding, to the center and right end, respectiyelyfof for maintaining Sliding engagement ,of said corrugated side plates alignment bar 60 may be located susbtantially cenof corrugated side'plates 54' and which bar 60 I may-extendtransversely to frame members 12. The

' ends; of alignment bar 60, inaybe rigidly secured in any, 7

to the inboard V 7 V may be interpreted as illustrative and not as ljmiting the appropriate manner, suchas by'wel-ding, 7 sides, of cor -gated side plates 54, .in order to maintain ifirr i e k 2m n b di p lqngitudinflly 1 corrugatedside plates 54 and may be secured, as by nut be pivotallyisecur ed as at 68 to support bracket Er id braces 69aind 70 may be rigidly secured to the 'front and rear, respectively, of the fifth wheelconstruction. Stop blocks 72 may be rigidly secured tothe endsof slide plates 14 topreclude accidental removal of the wheel construction therefrom. V 7 V i; ;A top plate 74 and a bottom cover plate 76 (Figure "3) may be disposed above and, below power cylinders 64 thereon. A fifth wheel 66 may again effected so as to open the contacts (not shown) of the switch 46 with the result that the light on the dash of'the tractor (no shown) may, of course, be ofi, which 7 is an indication that both locking'pins 42 may be in their normal locked position.

'It will be understood that the invention comprises'a isomewhat-u-shapedj slidable fifth wheel "mountingassem- 54 with re j andmaybetcalrried by assembly plate 23 for protection 9 rpqwer l de .3 a d isn l gh i 46 r m adverse weathertconditions. t V i In operation, in order to vary the overall length of the trailer truck 10 and a trailer (not shown) coupled therefluid pressure throughthecommon supply line unit 40 to in order to actuate pistonrods 3 3 Actuation of p ston rods33 in turn causes bell-crank levers 36 to rotate about fixed fulcrums 37, Consequent- =ly, asjleversfifi rotate, the outboard ends, thereof, raise With the V to upon :the fifth wheel 66 between the limits as shown 7 in Figure 1, it may be necessary. to supply'a sourceof q k nsb us Withdrawn om Op n ngs 1 n tl l, h

,7 operator may move theitrailer truck 10' relative to the coupled' trailer (notshown) to therebyicause 'thje fifth wheel construction to move longitudinally of the frame members 12, which may, ofcourse, carry the fifthwhelel 66' therewithto a selected position, within the confines f of t-he end brace 69 and stopiblocks 72;

7 The source of fluid may then be eliminated which may allow ipistonrrods 3.3 to return to, their normal released end'sof thepiston rods 33 may occurd-uring the; out

board'movement of said piston rods '33; When vertic'al position because 'of the action of springsilnot shown); 7 located internally of power cylinders 30, and? which springs, are disposed 7 around piston rods 331 The 'reof. the pistons ;(not,shown) to 'their released p65 tion results 'in reverse rotation of bell-cranleleve'rs 36 t which,i thereby, lowers locking pins 42 into selected a registered openings 18 and 20 of slide plates '14 and" reinforcing barlfi, respectively.

displacement occurs, contact between piston rods 33,and 1 signal light switch 46 may be eliminated thereby closing the contacts (not shown) of the switch 46 with the result that the light on the dash of the tractor (not a shown)'may go on so as to indicate tothe operatorithat the, fifth wheel construction is in an unlocked zposition.

gwhen the, locking pins 42I'Iare in registry, contactf'between piston rods-33 and signal txlight switch is simple, economical, and

bly 22 comprising members 23 and 54 and the parts supported thereby as heretofore described; Thisnovel coirstruction comprises a'unitary' and compact arrangement which may be secured or removed from the frame of the trailer truck'as a unit and which therebyprovides a readily maintainable unit for connecting .trailer trucks to tractors. s V V As many changes could be made in the aboye constructions without departing fro m'the scope of the invention, it is intended that niatter contained description and shown n the accompanying'drawings scopeof' the inyention. i

,I claim; 1 v "1. In a fifth wheel mounting for a trailer truckfithe combination of: transversely spaced longitudinally-item tending" slide plates fixably supported to said tr'uckand having longitudinally spacedfopenings therethrough, a

7 support assembly slidably'supportedlon slide plates, 7 locking means disposed on the'support assembly forin-i 'terlocking said assembly with said slide -plates, said means vcomprising-,'gui'cle means" preented byi 'the' sup-' port assembly 'di-a locking pin vertically, movable therein, said pin being aligned longitudinallyandibeing selectively'r'egistable with said -openinga'said pin having, a slot, extending transversely therethrough, power cylinder means 'mounted on said support'assembly, a'bell 'cranklever supported by theisupport assembly and haying onejend thereof connected to'the power cylinder means, the'other end thereof extending through said slot and being slidably engageable therein with said,pin,iandaffifth wheel device mcumted on said support assembly.

2. In a fifth wheel mounting fora trailer truck having 7 V 7 7 members, the com'bination of't'; transversely spaced longitudinally extending itud y e t ndi me slideplates fixably supported'by the frame members and having longitudinally] iopenings respectively, a support assembly slidably supported by, said slide plates, retainer plates disposed on tfl e support assembly and in overlapping and underlying" relationship with the sideand bottompfthe slide'plates, j locking means disposed on the supp-grt asp c ively, a a sembly, is'aid imea'ns comprising locking pins ,yertically movable inguide means presented by'the siipporttassem bly, respectively, said pins being transversely aligned with a each other Iand'being spaced as to be selectively'reg-t istrable with said openings respectively saidpins haya 7 .ing mutually aligned ,slots,;power cylin rmeansmounted lon saidrassemblyiplateand comprising oppositely.;act'

ing pistons each having :its ,related "piston todQ-respec-J twanpmsmr levers fulcrumed to thegsupport assemer eofponnectedto a the respective piston' rodfthe oppositecorrespondiiig ends I of said levers extending V .and benign slid bleengagement thereimwith said pins,

a and a fifth wheel device mounted to said support assembly and having correpsondingiends through said-I slots respectively,

*b Y-l 1, it.

filefrencesfiitedjinthejfile of this'patentif i f V UNITED STATES PATENTS i 7 2,387,625- Walther et'al; 'Oct,;23, r1945 2,589,678: DeLayJQHn Sept. 1', 1953- 2,750,207 Greenway June; 12,5l956 2;755i,1O4 v Braunberger, Iuly 117', 1956 2,799,5l6 jGreenway uly 16, 51957 in the above 7 extending transversely aligned fi lan. 1. 51953 7 

